HOLIDAY SHOPPING - EASY AS 1-2-3

At Laurel Mountain Basket Company, we make your Holiday Shopping as easy as one-two-three.

One - make your list (check it twice)

Two - set your budget. We have great Holiday Gift Baskets to fit every budget.

Three - pick up the phone and call!

It really is that easy. All of our gift baskets are hand made in our Easthampton, Massachuetts studio with quality products, many from local vendors. We use maple syrup that comes from sugar houses in Easthampton and Northampton, past and herb mixes from Colrain, Salsa from Williamsburg and chocolate covered cranberry candies from Cape Cod.

Ordering is easy too. You can call us at 413-527-1243 and speak with one of our design experts. We will custom design a basket for you or you can check out and order your Christmas gift baskets on line.

Kosher, gluten free or other special diet? Our design experts can assist you in creating a beautiful gift basket that suits your needs.

Let us take the stress out of your Holiday shopping.

Best wishes for a very Happy Holiday!
Marie

Winter Festival 2009

When Laurel Mountain Basket Company was a part time business/hobby, I spent every weekend between Halloween and Christmas participating in local craft fairs.

Craft fairs were not only great places to display and sell my Christmas gift baskets, they were great places to buy unique Christmas gifts for my friends and family.

The first year I applied to every show in the area. The second year I was a bit more selective and ruled out those where many of the "crafters" made crocheted toilet tissue covers and clothespin reindeer. I sold a lot of gift baskets at these fairs but it was a lot of work. By the third year, I was attending only my two favorites.

When I opened my retail space in an old converted factory building I stopped doing fairs altogether. I got together with some of the others in the building, we contacted some friends and started our own show. It was so much fun that we decided to do it every year.

I may be a little biased but I think The Annual Winter Arts & Crafts Festival at the Marketplace at Eastworks is one of the best arts & crafts shows in Western Massachusetts. We have some of the finest artisans and crafters in the Pioneer Valley, many of whom have been with us since the first one. Clients and the community at large look forward to the event because they know they will find one-of-a-kind handcrafted gifts, reasonably priced. There is something for everyone.

Join us this year on Saturday December 4th and Sunday December 5th from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. both days. We are located in Easthampton, MA, just minutes North of Springfield. For directions check the Eastworks website at www.eastworks.com

Artists and crafters, we still have openings in some of our categories. If you would like more information, contact me at info@laurelmtbasket.com

Holiday Rush

It was the first week in October and I was pricing floor tiles in one of the big box stores. I overheard the manager explaining to his crew that they would be getting their Christmas Holiday merchandise in by the end of the week. They were to start making room for it so that it could be out on display as soon as it arrived.

Now, in addition to being on line, Laurel Mountain Basket Company has a retail gift shop located in Easthampton, MA. I know I have to start planning for the Holiday Season early. We need to start creating our new designs in July and August so that we can order our supplies for an October delivery. But, I am NOT going to put our Holiday designs out on display in our store before Halloween!

I love all of the Holidays and I want to enjoy each of them to the max. I celebrate Take Your Dog To Work Day! So I think it is a shame to rush over any of them.

Celebrate Halloween! Make a huge bowl of pop corn, turn down the lights and cuddle on the sofa with your family while you watch scary movies together.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorites. Roasted turkey and pumpkin pie are the best. And in our family there is always a birthday cake. I was born on Thanksgiving day so it is a really special holiday to me.

I absolutely love Christmas!!!! Only my friend Jeannie out does me with Christmas decorating. I do think she starts decorating around now because every nook and cranny in her beautiful home is filled with the Christmas spirit. And then, she bakes enough cookies and sweet breads to feed the town.

So, my advice to you is that you savor each day because each one is a holiday. Don't rush over Mad Hatter Day, Cookie Monster Day or Cat Herders Day. Enjoy each one to the fullest.

What Makes a Good Boss?

"The first thing the secretary types is the boss." Donald Trump

Friday, October 16th is Boss's Day. In 1952, Patricia Haroski while working as a secretary, registered National Boss's Day with the US Chamber of Commerce. It was a day that gave employees the opportunity to recognize and thank their bosses. Ten years later October 16th was officially proclaimed National Boss's Day.

Those of us who have worked outside of the home have had experience working with a boss. I encountered my first boss at the age of 11 when I worked a summer job picking cucumbers. Yes, it was legal for children to work on farms for pay in Massachusetts in the 1960's. Since then, I have held a number of jobs and have had a number of bosses.

I guess I have been lucky because, although there were one or two that I will be happy never to have to work for again, most of the bosses I have had were what I consider "good" bosses. One or two I'd even consider "exceptional".

While researching Boss's Day, I found the general criteria for considering someone a good boss, is that they are kind and fair. I agree that both kindness and fairness are excellent qualities to have in a boss but found the best bosses I had were good communicators and good listeners too. They were also generous with their time. They encouraged me to grow and were willing to teach me the skills I'd need to do so.

I am self employed at this time so I don't have a traditional "boss" to celebrate with on October 16th. But I will say thank you to all of my bosses. Each one is very special to me.

May be you will share with me the qualities you believe make someone a "good" boss. I'd love to hear from you.

(Simple Elegance Gift Basket shown above)

It's Personal

Gift baskets are a great gift idea. That's why you will find them in discount stores, large department and grocery stores and pharmacy chains across the country. Especially during the Holidays. Some of the gift baskets are actually pretty nice, but to me, they lack imagination. Getting a gift basket filled with coffee mugs, flavored coffee and cookies, all sporting the logo of a major national coffee chain, tells me little thought went into buying that gift.
At a gift basket company like Laurel Mountain Basket Company you will find gift baskets with personality. Gift baskets designed especially for events like birthdays or bereavements, or for individuals with a passion like golf or fishing. A gift basket can be so much more than the sum of its parts. It can be a gift as unique as the person giving it and the person receiving it.

Seasons Greetings!

I know, it's August, but in our world it's time to start planning for the Holiday Season. It's actually lots of fun. Catalogs from all of our suppliers are arriving daily and we get to go SHOPPING! Shopping is my favorite sport.
This year we are putting together a new line of New England gift baskets but will continue to feature locally made treats like pancake mix and maple syrup from the Pioneer Valley, chocolates and cranberry candies from Cape Cod, jams and jellies and even salsa from the Berkshire hills. We will be bringing back some of your old favorites like Little House of Thyme and adding some new ones we know you will love like Appalachian Naturals.
We love the shea butter soaps and beeswax candles handmade by local craftspeople and will be featuring these items in many of our Bath and Body Gift Baskets like our Holiday SPA Gift Basket shown here.
We will be posting our new designs on our blog so check back with us regularly. If you have any design favorites, let us know.
Enjoy the rest of your summer,
Marie

Laughing Out Loud

The other day I received the funniest e-mail I have ever seen. Well, maybe not THE funniest but it sure was close. It made my day!

You don't have to work from home like the character Adam in the comic strip "Adam" to feel isolated in the work place. I work in a studio outside of my home but most of my business is done over the phone or via my website http://www.laurelmtbasket.com/ . Don't get me wrong. I love to work alone in an environment without distractions when I'm designing a new gift basket and especially at this time of year when I am designing a full line of gifts and gift baskets for the up coming holiday season.

But eight or ten hours is a long time so I'm really glad I have my on line friends who fill my inbox with the most insane e-mails. There are so many fun things out there that I'd never have time to find on my own. I don't spend time on You Tube but I'm sure glad someone does, because I really enjoy some of the amazing videos found there.

Many of my friends are artists, writers, crafters, designers of one sort or another or other professionals who also work solo. Swapping silly e-mails with them is a great way to take a break and spread some cheer.

There are days when you will catch me LOL for real. I especially enjoy photos and videos of cats and dogs (or any animal really) doing something silly. I love the Cats on a Treadmill and the Moose with the Sprinkler type videos. They are too cute and hysterically funny.

Be a good friend and share a laugh today!

When Do You Get Your Great Ideas?

Having a difficult time finding a solution to a problem or making a decision? Try following the age old advice and "sleep on it". Okay, so there's no scientific evidence to prove that "sleeping on it" will help solve a problem or make the right decision, but it works for me.

Anyone who owns their own business will tell you they never stop looking for solutions to problems or making decisions about something or other. I've spent many sleepless nights trying to solve some problem that had come up during the day. On other nights, especially just before a holiday when I need to come up with several new gift basket designs for Valentines Day or Easter or Christmas, I would fall asleep thinking about creating these custom designs. Often on those nights, I'd wake up and a design idea would be crystal clear. I'd get all excited about starting the project the next day and fall back to sleep. The problem was that when I woke up the next morning, I'd remember that I'd had a great idea, but couldn't remember what it was.

Now, I keep a note pad and pen on my night stand and jot down a word or two to trigger my memory. This method works great although, because I write my messages in the dark, trying to read them the next morning can be a challenge.

I also get ideas for new gift basket designs while I'm vacuuming. I think the repetitive motion and the monotonous sound of the vacuum helps dull my conscious mind and allows my creative subconscious to work. I can achieve this same kind of zoning out during my step aerobic class or while walking the dogs. More than once I've left my aerobic class, written a cryptic note on a piece of paper towel, tucked it into my sock and jumped right back into the routine. I've been working out with Sue for about 14 years now, so she's gotten used to this behavior. My dogs love walking in the woods near our home, so they're happy to help me walk and think.

So, I'll continue taking step aerobic classes, walking the dogs, and "sleeping on it", in order to keep my creative mind open for new gift basket design ideas. Check out some of my best ideas at http://www.laurelmtbasket.com/.

Every Day is a Holiday!

In the gift basket business, we help people celebrate special occasions every day. Today we get to celebrate a special occasion in our own household. It's my husband's birthday. It's also the day in 1839 when baseball was born which is very appropriate since Vic is an avid baseball fan. Living in Massachusetts, he favors the Red Sox most of the time, but has enough enthusiasm for the game to spread around, especially during the playoffs and the World Series.

June 12th is also Magic Day, Machine Day and Crowded Nest Awareness Day. Being so involved with birthdays and baseball, we don't celebrate these other events too much.

I love holidays! I was born on Thanksgiving Day and for years I thought everyone got the day off from work and had a big party because it was my birthday. It's still one of my favorites. That's probably because we get to enjoy my sister's hospitality each year and I don't have to do any of the cooking. Bringing a fresh baked pie from one of the local farm shops and a bottle of wine is the extent of my contribution.

Sunday is Father's Day. I hope Vic is not expecting too much this year since the dogs and I have not had a chance to shop yet. The old saying about the shoemakers children not having shoes also applies to gift shop owners and their families not receiving gifts!

Have a happy June 12th! Celebrate your life!

Marie